The arrested accused along along with the seized materials on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement
Six persons, including an astrologer, were arrested while they were attempting to sell a fake Panchaloha idol of Goddess Lakshmi and a stone by claiming that they possessed divine and fortune-bringing powers, the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force said on Sunday.
The Jubilee Hills Zone Task Force, along with Mailardevpally police, apprehended the six at Laxmiguda in Katedan on Saturday (August 15) and seized the fake idol, a pink-coloured stone, an SUV, five mobile phones, three bottles containing an unidentified liquid and two red towels.
The accused were identified as Kethavath Raju alias Katappa, 38, Vadathya Kumar, 34, Praveen Singh, 34, Mangali Basava Naresh, 38, P. Narsimha, 45, and Challa Ravi, 38. All are residents of Hyderabad or neighbouring districts, with Ravi working as an astrologer.
According to the police, Narsimha claimed that he was duped in 2024 by Ravi, Kondapelli Bikshapathi and others from Vemulawada into purchasing the purported Panchaloha idol for ₹10 lakh. Narsimha later handed over the idol to Kumar, following which the two allegedly joined hands with Raju, Singh and Naresh to find buyers willing to pay a higher price.
While looking for prospective customers, Raju allegedly told the others that he also had a stone, which he had purchased from a person identified as Malik from Hussainialam. The group allegedly planned to sell both the items for a substantial profit.
On Saturday, the six gathered at Laxmiguda with the idol and the stone and were looking for prospective buyers. The police, acting on information, intercepted them before any sale could take place.
Investigators said that the accused allegedly tried to convince potential customers that the idol and stone possessed special divine powers and could bring good fortune, thereby enabling them to demand a much higher price. The seized material, along with the accused, was handed over to the Mailardevpally police for further investigation.
Published – August 16, 2026 08:01 pm IST
